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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24457315">Homecoming</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ylevihs/pseuds/Ylevihs'>Ylevihs</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>How Not to Fall [55]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, Farm Headcanons, M/M, Retribution Spoilers, regene oc</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:22:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,145</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24457315</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ylevihs/pseuds/Ylevihs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jeeze Richard, how come your mom let you take <i>two</i> dates to homecoming?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Herald/Sidestep (Fallen Hero)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>How Not to Fall [55]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1327892</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Homecoming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>One foot in front of the other. What was it they always said? The journey of a thousand miles started with a single step. Richard vaguely wondered how many miles they’d come. How much more they’d have to go. He struggled to get Regina’s fingers to cooperate with the seat belt buckle. They kept slipping.</p>
<p>Eyes were on. She was staring. Still silent, could she even speak? There was no way to tell now. There was a faint click as she unbuckled her seat belt and came over to undo Regina’s. A sluggish but deliberate way of moving. Testing the waters to see if she would be yelled at perhaps, for taking too long. Richard’s fingers itched but otherwise controlled themselves. If there was anything decent left in the universe, she’d take his advice seriously. Hide away in the blind spots and use whatever was going to happen here tonight as a way to escape. This close up Richard could see the more recent damage that Argent had done already healing itself. And the way previous injuries had healed, leaving her with slightly odd bumps of bone and cartilage under her skin. Richard could see where she bit her fingernails when she was nervous. </p>
<p>She was unmistakably and heartrendingly human.</p>
<p>The door to the cabin was opening with a dull thud and. The smell of gasoline and motor oil and hot metal flooded in. Dirt and dry dust. It was just as hot here as in Los Diablos, but the dryness sucked the life out of everything. Left it feeling powdery on the skin and crackling in the lungs. Daniel’s head poked through the open doorway and a spear of terror sank into Richard’s gut.</p>
<p>“What are you doing?” hissed out between Regina’s teeth like a coiled rattlesnake, mind immediately drenching itself in manic adrenaline, pumping the exhaustion out of Regina’s limbs in favor of another fight or flight response. Somewhere deep inside Richard’s consciousness a faint warning began flashing. Not quite red yet, but still alerting that it couldn’t keep this up for much longer. It was elbowed to the side by the fifty foot vertical drop that seeing Daniel had caused. Forced his brain into a panicked.</p>
<p>Daniel had been caught. No. His arms were free by his sides and his hands were on the doorframe and he was much too high off the ground for anyone to be forcing him in. There wasn’t the look of fear that Richard knew on Daniel’s face. Unease, certainly, but not fear. Yet.</p>
<p>So. This was a hallucination brought on by exhaustion and having two minds crammed into one space. One of which was spiraling sluggishly and perhaps starting to slap against Richard’s mind. Reaching out for something comforting and welcoming to be in the doorway instead of whichever lackey they’d sent to pick up Regina’s wobbly form. Pasting Daniel’s face over it like a magazine man collage to make the perfect guy. That seemed even less likely.</p>
<p>This was a dream and they were still flying and hadn’t landed yet. Which was getting Richard’s bet if not for the fact that disaster hadn’t struck yet. And it was still too linear. At some point Daniel should have literally started melting away if this was a nightmare.</p>
<p>They had landed and Richard had been immediately exposed by the other regene and they were fucking with his memories now.  </p>
<p>No. This was. The regene turned her head like the snap of posable doll, not glaring. But recognition shown in her eyes, nonetheless, darting back in silence to Regina’s broken face. Back again to Herald in the doorframe. But no movement followed; muscles tensed to do something but waiting to see what would happen. She rose fully to her feet in a slow and controlled movement and clenched her fists.</p>
<p>“There’s no one out here,” as he spoke, Danny leaned back slightly, looking around as if to confirm it again to himself. His goggles had been pushed up onto his forehead and left him with a faint windburn outline around his eyes. If he was concerned about the regene overhearing, he didn’t show it much. The anxiety in his face was all directed towards the world outside. “But it doesn’t look damaged, but it’s been abandoned almost, you know? Like everyone left in a hurry,” Richard did. He also recognized the trepidation in Daniel’s voice.</p>
<p>This hadn’t been in the plans. Richard had considered what might happen if they were found out in transit, or even before, but the clean abandonment of the hangar hadn’t been an option. Why bother giving them easy access? Why not stop them early? None of the gathering answers provided any reassurance, no matter how much they waved their hands and begged Richard’s attention.</p>
<p>An eerie silence filled the cabin as the plane’s engines died down. There should have been voices, shouting. Metal on concrete. Metal on metal and industrial grinding as repairs were made and adjusted. Announcements should have been coming over the intercom system, announcing any arrivals. Any departures. Any changes to the maintenance schedules. Instead there was only the sound of heat, whining and oppressive. And beyond that there was silence, thick and choking as cold molasses.</p>
<p>“What?” the legs wouldn’t obey. Not right away. Even after a few false starts to get the muscles responding, Regina’s knees knocked together loudly as Richard tried to put her body weight onto them. It wasn’t enough of a distraction for his mind, but at least the regene pulled back to give him space.</p>
<p>The hangar had always been a hub of activity. Repairing machinery, testing modifications. Flight lessons to those who were deemed trustworthy enough not to immediately nose-dive. Teams being sent out. Practice drills. And there were cameras. Always cameras. Cameras everywhere watching and recording and waiting and seeing Daniel fly in alongside the plane now and open the door from the outside and— “We have to move,” eyes pinning shut the door to the cockpit.</p>
<p>Why hadn’t the pilot stepped out yet? Were they waiting on confirmation for something? They’d. Shit, had they seen Daniel earlier? Called ahead to warn of something—someone—coming?</p>
<p>Daniel tracked Regina’s admittedly unfocused eyes to the cockpit door and floated in slightly more to the plane, arms coming up in a defensive position. It was difficult to make Regina’s body move the way it needed to, but Richard managed to raise her arms up enough to get her forearms into a block. Beside them both the regene, and God, she had to have a name, didn’t she? A name she probably didn’t like, but it had to be there somewhere. She adjusted her stance as well. Shifting her weight and absolutely impossible to tell if she was preparing to strike against Danny or.  </p>
<p>There was movement ahead in the cockpit. A brief crackle of the overhead PA flaring to life and the.</p>
<p>Oh.</p>
<p>“Testing? Ah,”</p>
<p>Oh fuck, he was going to kill him.</p>
<p>“This is your co pilot speaking,” bright and smug and Richard was going to throttle him. Just as soon as he figured out Regina’s feet again. Wobbling up to the door, sending an errant wave to Daniel as he reached out to steady the flailing woman. “As we landed, we experienced some unexpected turbulence. Our pilot slammed his face into my fist until he became unconscious,” like he was reading the morning news. Chipper. Richard managed to get Regina’s hands against the door handle and jiggle it. Locked from the inside. “Luckily, we’d already made contact with the ground,” a chuckle.</p>
<p>A fist, right to his. “I’m gonna punch him in the throat, I swear to god,” muttered out furiously and then Richard raised Regina’s voice. “I’m gonna punch you in the throat, you. You,” pulling at the locked door fruitlessly and feeling weak muscles in Regina’s forearms struggle with the motion. “How did you even get in there?” a softer panic in his chest. Why did he have to be like this? He was there. He wasn’t supposed to be there, and Richard didn’t want him there, couldn’t take it if. If. Tugged with more of her slight body weight and felt Daniel’s hands appear on her shoulders. Steadying, trying to. “Ricardo open the fuh. Open the door!”</p>
<p>Movement, a chair turning. Richard had to force himself to release the door handle—Regina’s knuckles stayed white for a few seconds from the pressure.</p>
<p>“You know it’s very difficult to hear you in here,” the door opened a small fraction. There was the edge of a pilot’s uniform. “But I <i>did</i> hear you say you were going to punch me,”</p>
<p>Richard felt his heart do an incredibly complicated motion of rising and sinking at the same time. Folding in over itself and twisting hard. Spreading out tendrils and wrapping them around his nerves. “You.” Without any heat. The anger was there but there simply wasn’t enough to combat the volatile combination of dread and comfort building in his gut. He didn’t want this. He hated this. He was so fucking furious that Ortega had. Had. So desperately glad that he was there. “You’re in luck that she’s weaker than a kitten,” letting Regina’s arms go lax at her sides. The door to the cockpit swung open with a small metallic creak, revealing Ricardo taking off a headset. And a man’s body slumped over in the pilot’s seat.</p>
<p>“Where’s the actual copilot?” Daniel’s voice was full of dull concern. Equally as startled as Richard to find Ricardo had stowed away on the plane.</p>
<p>Ricardo shrugged. “Back at Los Diablos International. I knocked him out, stole his suit, and locked him in the men’s toilets. I had about two minutes before your helicopter arrived to steal his clothes and badge and get in here,” he tapped the unconscious pilot on the shoulder. “This guy didn’t even bat an eye at me already being in my seat. You just can’t find good help these days,” rolling his eyes. Trying to be playful.</p>
<p>Ah, there was Richard’s anger. It just needed to get its second wind. Tight clenched teeth and even tighter sounding in her throat. “I told you not to—,” Ricardo cut him off.</p>
<p>“Are we really gonna argue in front of company,” gesturing to the regene. Richard’s mind politely coughed as he turned to look at her. For her part, the regene looked from Regina, to Daniel and then to Ricardo stepping out of the cockpit. Blinking. Eyes narrowing. And coming to some sort of decision.</p>
<p>She flipped Ricardo off.  </p>
<p>Richard couldn’t stop himself from snorting, even though it sent a lancing pain up through Regina’s shattered sinus cavity. Well. That was certainly something. The glimmer of hope that had taken up permanent residence now in his chest gleamed. That was a good sign, it told him. Good for her. He turned back to Ricardo and squared as much of Regina up as he could. Not a very intimidating tactic, he’d admit, but he’d been spending too much time in his own body to stop the little things from carrying over.</p>
<p>“You shouldn’t be here,” didn’t want it to sound like a whine, but Regina’s broken nose didn’t exactly help. “I didn’t want to you to have to see everything that,” trailing off as Ricardo’s face shifted into a glare. No. No, that wasn’t entirely the reason. Because it was truer than Richard wanted to admit, the reason he’d been trying to keep Ricardo away. Half to keep some of his own private torments to himself and half because.</p>
<p>“I’m not losing you to this place again,” a shift in his stance. Ready. Tense. Arms folding over his chest and concern freely showing in his eyes. The wrinkles around his eyes. Maybe even more than half because Ricardo still blamed himself for Richard’s return trip. And wanted to hurt himself in pennies and dimes by seeing firsthand the things he’d failed to protect his friend from. “Daniel and I promised that we would be with you for this,”</p>
<p>Richard’s anger was running thin again. Diluted and weak. “Fine,” not even remotely meaning it. Exactly none of this was fine. They were going die here. Maybe not today and probably not immediately. But it would be here. And it would be because of him. Because he’d somehow managed to squirm and lie his way into the hearts of these two people and convince them that he was worth the risk. He swallowed his self-loathing. There would be plenty of time for that later, after they’d failed. “Did you hear anything over the radio about why this place is deserted?”</p>
<p>Ricardo nodded. “Apparently there was an engine fire in the south wing,” pointing vaguely in what Richard assumed was southerly. “They needed all hands on deck. Flight tower asked for confirmation that we could land without a crew on the ground and we gave the go ahead,” a beat. “Well, he gave the go ahead,” motioning back to the cockpit.</p>
<p>“Then they should be getting back here soon if they’ve gotten it taken care of,” and if they hadn’t then. Then. “This could work in our favor if we play our cards right,” Richard rubbed Regina’s chin thoughtfully and turned his full attention, or what he could wrangle of it, to the regene. She stared back at him, blanker than fresh canvas. Well, not entirely true. She was intelligent. Richard could feel that when he’d been in his own body and brushed against her mind. But she was scared at the moment, visible and plain in her eyes. Unsteady about what was unfolding before her and how to react to it. “We aren’t here to kill anyone,” a shaky beginning, and one that she clearly didn’t believe. Appraising the three of them up and down and visibly finding them lacking. There was a good chance that the fact that he didn’t want anyone dead would be the part she took issue with. “I want to…destroy some buildings. The labs in particular. And steal as much evidence of the things they’ve been doing here as I possibly can, to show the world,” which sounded so absurdly grandiose when put like that. “Show the world that they need to be punished,”</p>
<p>But it was the truth. In the beat of silence that followed, Richard could hear Ricardo telling Daniel to steal the pilot’s badge and suit jacket. To hide at least a little.</p>
<p>“I don’t want any of the regenes getting hurt either,” he continued, seeing her squint again at the fact that these declarations were coming from Regina’s mouth. Being said in her voice. As she was flanked by two of Los Diablos’ Rangers. “I told you about that blind spot between the buildings so you could have somewhere safer to hide for a minute if you want to run,” a longer pause. Waiting for a reaction that didn’t seem to be incoming. She stared and kept staring. Richard clenched his jaw and felt his stomach roll. He didn’t want to threaten her but. But. “You don’t have to run. And I don’t expect you to help. But you know what they’ll do to you for failing to keep,” Richard gestured down at Regina’s body. Battered. Bloody. Bruised. “Protected while outside these walls,”</p>
<p>It was a low thing to bring up, he knew. That particular nail dug in deep to his coffin when the regene visibly flinched at the mention of. He doubled down. “They won’t just kill you,” they would piece her out for parts and grind her up into so much. So much. She shuddered and shook her head, staring grimly down at the floor of the plane. After a moment of stillness, she shook her head again, more firmly, and held her hands up. A gesture of surrender. Beyond showing that she wasn’t going to try and fight them now, Richard couldn’t be sure at all what she was giving up to.</p>
<p>He felt twin cool spots on Regina’s shoulders as Daniel’s hands drifted back. “We’ve got to get moving,” Ricardo’s voice shouldered in. He was giving a sympathetic look to the regene before turning a more serious one to Richard. “We’ll be following your lead,”</p>
<p>-</p>
<p>His lead, it turned out, was not the most reliable. The first two doors out of the hangar that they tried were locked from the opposite side, and the first one they could open lead to a blank and terrible hallway that made Regina’s knees lock up with Richard’s latent terror.</p>
<p>A few seconds of concentration and. “Okay, I think,” breathing a little unsteadily. Lying. There was no uncertainty there, but to admit it plainly would be too much. “I think if we go down that hallway,” voice squeaking in her throat even as he suggested it. “There should be a door with a keypad and a retina scanner,” numbers were floating up and offered for inspection, but none of them made any sense just yet. What remained of Regina’s consciousness was more than content to watch and dully wave at the passing commotion.</p>
<p>Down the hallway they went again. This time Richard caught the movement of the regene out of the corner of his eye as. As she headed towards the space between buildings at the back exit of the hangar. Good for her. Hopefully. God. Right, now it three lives that he’d destroy when he failed.</p>
<p>Perfect.</p>
<p>Focus. The hallway was too long. Too many doors on either side. Plain dingy white, why was everything white, who designed this stupid. Was it ever this long before? Had they added. Maybe, oh goodness, oh please, maybe he was wrong, and this wasn’t the right. No. A grey metal door. Thick and imposing. A sleek touchpad to the right with a convex camera peering up at them. Richard did his best to angle Regina’s head over the scanner and keep her eye from slipping off the red light. There was, distantly, a hum and a chime. The touchpad lit itself up with a pleasant blue backlight.</p>
<p>It was muscle memory and sheer dumb luck, but Regina’s fingers punched up the code without a fraction of hesitation. Another hum. Another chime and the solid metal locks holding the door in place slide back.</p>
<p>And that was it. Daniel placed a palm on the door and pushed, letting the door swing inwards. At first the corridor beyond was black but after a moment a series of overhead fluorescents began flickering to life.</p>
<p>Richard remembered this. This exact hallway. It was twenty three steps long and one right turn he would have to take that would bring him and his handlers. Not his handlers. Ricardo and Daniel. Not his handlers. Back to. To.</p>
<p>“Gentlemen,” feather thin and frail in the bright and unyielding contaminated light. “Welcome to The Farm,”</p>
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